


The World Won't Fall Apart

by AceSparkleGirl



Series: Sincerely, Reinvention Zombie AU [2]
Category: Dear Evan Hansen - Pasek & Paul/Levenson
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Children, Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-16
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2019-04-23 21:53:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14341671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceSparkleGirl/pseuds/AceSparkleGirl
Summary: Nights were always supposed to be the calmest parts of the day. At least, that's what Connor could hope for. After the outbreak, that felt damn near impossible. The only times that ‘peaceful’ came even close were when someone was out on lookout, and Connor was huddled by a campfire with Evan and Chloe by his side. Tonight, Evan had turned in early, leaving Connor staring into a fire with a certain six-year-old in his lap, humming along to some tune she was making up in her head.





	The World Won't Fall Apart

Nights were always supposed to be the calmest parts of the day. At least, that's what Connor could hope for. After the outbreak, that felt damn near impossible. The only times that ‘peaceful’ came even close were when someone was out on lookout, and Connor was huddled by a campfire with Evan and Chloe by his side. Tonight, Evan had turned in early, leaving Connor staring into a fire with a certain six-year-old in his lap, humming along to some tune she was making up in her head. 

 

It'd been years since Connor found her, and by this point, she felt like more of a daughter than anything else, which was almost too much to consider, given the fact that he could barely fathom keeping himself going in this shitty situation. Damn. His nose wrinkles up, sighing softly as he shifts in his spot, fixing his hold on Chloe. 

 

“Connie?”

 

Connor pauses, his gaze finally breaking from the licking flames before him in order to fall onto Chloe, who has shifted in his lap to look up to him more. She's practically drowning in the big old winter jacket that Heidi scrounged up for her, but it works all the same.

 

“...What's up, Squirt? You gettin’ tired, yet?” Connor mumbles, going to brush her hair away from her face. She needs a bath, he notices. God, they all need baths. His lips turn down slightly, and he looks back up into the fire. 

 

“Nooo. ‘m not sleepy,” she whispers, though a yawn that pushes past her throat would have Connor arguing in another situation. “Um— I got a ask!” 

 

Connor can't help but smile. “A question?” 

 

“Oh. Um, yis.” Chloe pauses, looking up to Connor before she looks down again. “Why did— um— How’d you get me again?”

 

Oh. Fuck. Connor's nose scrunches up. “I can tell you in the morning, Chlo, it's not really a great bedtime story,” he tries, gathering her hair back carefully and pulling a hair tie from his wrist to properly put her hair into a ponytail. “Trust me.”

 

“No!” She huffs and jerks forward a little, shaking her head. “Now, Connie. Please? I asked nicely, I did!” Her eyes lock with Connor's, and when her lower lip juts out, Connor's stomach twists. Damn. 

 

“You did,” he admits, going to loop an arm around her gently. “I know you did, Chloe, I know. It's just not a good story, kiddo, and—” 

 

“I wannit. Please. Please, please, Connie,  _ please _ .”

 

Connor pauses, breathing in before he nods and pushes his hair back. “...I found you with Effa,” he mumbles softly. “You were a baby.”

 

“You tell me I'm still a baby, Connie,” she shoots back, moving to grab for one of his hands with both of her own, playing with his fingers. 

 

“That's ‘cuz you are, to us,” he whispers, squeezing her fingers gently. She giggles, leaning into him more. “...But you were real little. Few months old, we think. You were up in your room, in your crib, and—” 

 

“Nooo, you skipped a whole bunch again! Zo-zo said that there's more, last time, Connie!” 

 

Shit.  “Yeah, I know,” he admits softly. “But it's not a fun story to tell, Chlo,” he whispers, looking back down at her. She meets his gaze, all wide eyes before she pouts.

 

“Please,” she murmurs softly, squeezing his hand. 

 

There's no way to win to that face, and he knows it. He deflates, silent before he nods. “Okay,” he murmurs, squeezing her hands in response. “...We found your house because it looked okay. Untouched and clean. And when we— Effa and I go searchin’ for houses to see if they anything useful in them, you know?” 

 

Chloe nods, gaze falling in order to let her head come to rest against his chest. “Yis,” she murmurs, still playing with his fingers. 

 

“Yes,” Connor echoes, puffing out a breath. “Effa saw your house, and wanted to go to it. I agreed. The doors were open, so we thought maybe whoever  _ had _ been there had left. Gone to find somewhere safer, and—” 

 

Chloe gasps. “But they didn't leave with everything, ‘cuz they left me!” she chirps, bringing Connor's hand up before letting it fall with her own. “So you got me, and then—” 

 

“Not quite,” Connor whispers, squeezing her hand. 

 

“No?” Chloe's lips curl into a pout, and she huffs, head falling against his chest once again. “That's silly.”

 

Connor hums softly, playing with her hair again with his free hand before he sighs. “When Effa and I went in, we heard noise. And when we checked, it was—” He shift, closing his eyes. This sucks. 

 

“It was… me!” 

 

Connor lets out a little laugh, shaking his head again. “Noooo, it wasn't it was— there were two zombies in there. Y’know those, right?”

 

Chloe pauses for a moment, but then she nods slowly before she presses closer to him. “Yeah,” she whispers, voice dropping lower. “I don't like them.” 

 

“We don't either,” he mumbles, shifting again before he presses a little kiss to the top of her head. “But— they were newer. Still looked— like us?” Connor's stomach turns, and he breathes in. “We had to kill them. I did. Because… because that's how it is out here, yeah?” 

 

He can practically feel Chloe tense up in his lap, and he frowns, squeezing her hand gently. She nods in response, whining softly. “I don't  _ like _ zommies,” she whispers, fingers curling in tight against Connor's palm. “I  _ don’t.” _

 

Shit. Connor hums, swaying with her slowly. “I can stop,” he mumbles, and his mind only screams that he hopes she says yes. 

 

But she doesn't. 

 

Instead, he watches her nose crinkle up, and she claws at his hand before looking down. “No. You can't,” she mumbles, frowning. “What happens next?” 

 

“...We took them outside,” Connor whispers. “Because we were gonna stay the night. But when we got in, we were searchin’ around, and I heard crying. So I wanted to go check, and Effa didn't want me to by myself. He was scared.”

 

“He was scared of me?” Chloe asks softly, looking up at him once again. “...Effa’s strong. He was scared?”

 

Connor's quiet for a moment before he just smiles and nods a little bit, running a thumb over a dirty spot on her cheek. “He was scared because he didn't know what to expect,” he explains, taking her hand again. “He wasn't scared of you, Chlo, he was scared of what could happen. But I went up anyway, and Effa followed me. I broke the door down, because it was locked from the inside, and—”

 

“And then I'm there!” Chloe squeezes Connor's fingers again, her hand pathetically tiny in Connor's own. He swallows and nods, slower, as he watches her gaze fix on the flames in front of them. 

 

“And then you're there,” he agrees, swaying a little with her. “In your crib, standing up and crying at us. I thought Effa was gonna pass out,” he murmurs. “But I went over, and I picked you up. You stopped crying, and I knew I couldn't leave you.” 

 

Saying all of it out loud feels incredibly sappy, but Connor can't manage to swallow the lump in his throat as it it gets harder to breathe. He doesn't even register Chloe frowning until he feels two tiny hands up on his cheeks, and he blinks. 

 

“Don't be sad,” Chloe whispers, patting at his face. “S’okay, Connie! S’okay.” She pats at his cheeks again before she drops her hands, lips pouted. There's a moment before he just manages a laugh. He wouldn't have guessed that he would be getting comforted by a six year old today, and yet, here they were. 

 

“I'm not sad,” he assures her after a second. “Just thinking.” He moves to wipe at his face, expertly suppressing a yawn behind his hand. “...Anyway, while I was holding you, Effa found a note. It was from your parents, and— it had your name on it. Chloe Ariel.”

 

“That's me.”

 

“That's you. And your parents—” 

 

“Why'd they leave me?” Connor freezes up a little bit, glancing down to find wide eyes staring back at him. “Don't they want me?” 

 

“...Of course they did.” Connor shifts, glancing up towards the house. God, he wish Evan were here. He'd always been better at these things. “But— the note was from them. They had been bitten, Chlo, and they turned. And they wrote— they wrote a note before they locked you in your room, and—”

 

“They were zommies,” Chloe whispers softly, eyebrows furrowing before she slumps into Connor more. “They were big ol’ icky zommies?” 

 

“...They were the ones that we'd killed,” he whispers, and his stomach turns. He feels sick again, a familiar sick feeling that he's almost positive he remembers too well from that day. Coincidentally, he was back in a place where he was holding onto Chloe tightly, rocking with her. 

 

“Oh,” is what he gets in reply, and then Chloe's face is in his chest. He's prepared to apologize, or comfort her, but she just sighs and wraps her arms around him tightly. “...But you had me, right?” 

 

“I had you,” Connor agrees softly, rubbing her back gently. “And I didn't leave you. I couldn't. Effa couldn't. And I felt bad, but I knew I couldn't leave alone like that.” He feels Chloe nod against his chest, and he tugs her closer. “And I won't leave you leave you alone. Promise. I won't do that to you.”

 

Chloe's quiet before she nods fast, arms looping tighter around him. “I know,” she whispers. “Can we go inside now?” 

 

Connor's gaze flickers over to the fire, which has by now died down to low flames and burning embers. It's small enough to leave unattended, he thinks, and he nods in response to her question before he scoots back and stands up. 

 

“Sure thing, Chlo. Hold on, okay?”

 

“‘m holdin’, Connie! I am.”

 

Chloe's arms tighten around him before she locks her legs around his torso in response, and Connor can't help the smile that stretches across his lips.

 

He squeezes her before he lowers one hand to grab his bag, and then it's off to the house, and he's pushing inside. It's somehow chillier than it is outside, and Connor can't help but wonder if that's just because of the fire or not. Making sure that the door is locked behind him, he continues on, and even through the dark, he finds it easy to maneuver through the old house. Every few steps, he feels Chloe's grip tighten around him, and it has his heart jolting each time, wondering if she's got more to say or not. 

 

“Wanna stay in your room tonight, or do you wanna sleep in my bed with me?” Connor asks under his breath, not wanting to wake up anybody else— especially not Jared, who he's sure wouldn't let him hear the end of it. 

 

Chloe huffs, patting at his back before she shakes her head. “You,” she manages through a yawn, head tapping against his chest again. “With you. Please?” 

 

Connor's chest gets tight, and he nods, slipping into the room he shares with Evan before he heads to his own bed, finally lowering Chloe down and scooting in next to her. It's unsurprising to find her firmly attaching herself to his side, and he just smiles and pulls her close after covering them both. 

 

“I wanna hug Effa real big tomorrow,” she whispers into Connor's shoulder, and he raises an eyebrow, smiling at the sentiment. 

 

“S’that right?” he mumbles, suppressing a yawn and rubbing her back. Nights like these had become increasingly often, especially in the most recent years, when Chloe decided that sharing a bed with either him or Evan was more warm and comfortable. Of course, it was never something to argue, either. 

 

“Mmh. ‘m already hugging you real big,” she whispers back, yawning. He can tell that her breathing is already evening out, and it only proves that he was too entirely correct in assuming that she had been tired the whole time. He doesn't mention it though— just nods and keeps her closer to himself before pressing a little kiss to the top of her head. 

 

“Yes you are,” he agrees softly, finally letting out a yawn. “Any reason, Miss Chloe?”

 

With the silence that follows his question, Connor's about ready to accept the fact that she's probably asleep. He adjusts the blankets over her and sighs softly, shifting to tuck an arm under the pillow to actually get to sleep, before his suspicions are shot down, and she speaks from beside him.

 

“Mmh,” she hums softly, and he feels her fingers curl in his shirt. “Thank you for savin’ me, Connie,” she whispers softly, burying her face into his chest. “And keeping me safe. You ‘n Effa,” she adds quickly, grip loosening. 

 

Connor's stomach drops. Oh. That's why she's been quiet. He breathes in, pushing her hair back. “...You're welcome, Chlo,” he whispers, kissing the top of her head quickly. “I'm glad I could.”

 

He feels Chloe nod after that, and then it takes mere moments for her to doze off. It's not surprising in the least that she keeps so close, and somehow it's even less surprising when he glances over to squint at Evan through the dark to find him looking right back at him. 

 

“ _ Shit _ ,” he hisses out softly under his breath, trying to suppress a nervous laugh from bubbling up. “Have you just been—” 

 

“Did’ja tell her?” Evan whispers softly, yawning. “That was a new one, Connor, does she know?”

 

Connor hums softly in response, playing with Chloe's hair. “Yeah,” he mumbles, closing his eyes. “Go back to sleep, Ev. You have a hug waiting for you in the morning.”

 

The silence following leaves him alone with his thoughts again, and he sighs. There's absolutely no other way he can imagine his life right now, actually, and it's weird to consider the fact that less than a decade ago, he would've been willing to dive head first into a herd of zombies if it meant not having to deal with the damn weight of it all. 

 

But now, there are so many things that make it all worth it, and it's difficult to get that off of his mind when one of them spends her time clinging to him like this. He smiles to himself, fingers spreading over her back before he sighs, letting his eyes close. Sure, this place is a pain in the ass, but with all things considered, he's damn glad he's not alone in this. 

**Author's Note:**

> You: Haley we don't WANT any more of this zombie AU  
> Me: Okay but so anyway it's Reinvention's Birthday so here's this zombie AU to celebrate, and---
> 
> ANYWAY ENJOY THANK YOU FOR READING I don't have much to say, you know where to find me. ([Right Here](http://tearezicryrope.tumblr.com))
> 
> P.S. Chloe is end-game for [Reinvention](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10692267/chapters/23679618) so like if you're here first I'm sorry to have spoiled that for you but it has a happy ending and I really love my daughter. But thank you for reading anyway.


End file.
